1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to printing, and more particularly to a shield provided in a Drum Maintenance Unit.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,372 to Rousseau et al. (hereinafter “the 372 patent”) discloses a replaceable liquid application system for applying a liquid intermediate transfer surface to a support surface in a printer. The liquid application system is contained in a removable cassette and utilizes a liquid impregnated arcuate surface that engages the support surface by rolling contact. The liquid impregnated arcuate surface is contained in a removable cartridge in the cassette. A cartridge life status assembly determines when the useful life of the cartridge has been exhausted. Push tabs on the cartridge and finger wells on the cassette allow for easy and convenient removal of a used cartridge and insertion of a replacement cartridge.
In the 372 patent, the cartridge also contains a reclamation assembly that extends the useful life of the cartridge. The reclamation assembly reclaims liquid from the support surface, filters the liquid and supplies the reclaimed liquid back to the arcuate surface for reapplication to the support surface.
Current solid ink printers use an oil impregnated roller and metering blade as active components of their Drum Maintenance Unit (DMU). The oiling roller comes in contact with an imaging drum of a printer device to transfer a release agent (silicone oil) onto the drum. A metering blade then wipes the drum clean by removing the oil, any non-transferred ink, and other particle debris. The metering blade then retracts and the used oil and collected waste is then transferred to a filtration system to filter out the waste and reclaim the oil for future use.